What’s In A Name?
I was listening to the Stephanie Miller radio show yesterday and heard a lively debate about pet names. We were sad to hear last month that her dog Puff died on April 23. She recently adopted a new dog; good for her! The controversy started because of the fact that she had changed her new dog’s name to Oliver from the one it had when she adopted him. Some callers didn’t see anything wrong with that and others did. That started a whole firestorm about the how and why of naming dogs and cats.
Naming your dog or cat or accepting the name they come with is very important business. Some people choose a name by certain physical characteristics such as spots. I had cousins when I was growing up who actually named their dog Spot! Size; a large dog may be given a diminutive name like Tiny or a big name like Brute. Some name their dog according to a behavioral trait. If the dog is digging up the back yard, Digger might be chosen. A cat with lots of hair might be named Fluffy. There are lots of pet naming books and even free websites if you get stuck.
Here is a fun 21st century way to name your dog:
And then there are us folks who like to give our dogs and cats human names. I am in that crowd who wouldn’t do it any other way; it’s like naming a new baby! I think it started with one of my first dogs who was a pure breed Old English Sheepdog with AKC papers. As I looked at her linage on the papers I was struck with the awesome responsibility I had! She was given not one but three names, first, middle and last name. Our now deceased cat was named after one of my all time heroes, Martin Luther King; he was named Martin Luther Kitty. Does it humanize them? You bet it does, right or wrong, many of us consider them as part of the family.
Finally there are people who rescue or adopt a pet that already has a name. Do you continue with that name or like Stephanie, change it? It might depend on the age of the cat or dog. If they are young like Stephanie’s new dog, they can probably adjust to a new name. For an older dog, it just might be too confusing for them and you’ll have to grow to love their name just as you grow to love them.
We have an excellent book in our eBay store with 3,000 pet names for dogs, cats, goldfish, hamsters and other kinds of pets
Your Best Friend Is Counting On You!
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Photo by regeniabraham Released under Creative Commons
